A month passed by, leaving us in the middle of oceans of questions.
These questions were for the society, the Government, men, parents…for our conscious.
Did we get the answers?
No, they are farfetched.
Do we believe that the whole system will change?
I don’t.
Will there be a change in the Law?
I am not sure about this.
India is a strange country. No matter how serious the issue in hand is, one diversion is enough to forget it completely.
Delhi Vasant Vihar gang-rape case happened. After few days, Sachin Tendulkar resigned and this issue took a back seat. Thanks to our ‘illiterate’ politicians for making ‘dented and painted’ comments that we were reminded of the disaster.
Thousands of us were facing the cruel showers and lathicharge at India Gate, they were the flag bearers; we just had to keep fuelling the lamp of protest in whichever way we could.
Profile pics were changed to black-dot in a spree, poems were written, information shared, status updated, songs composed, paintings made….anger was expressed in one way or the other.
Dates changed from 12 to 13, anger mellowed down too. And then Pakistan came knocking at the LoC, violating the pact and exhibiting there barbarism and cowardice again. The whole focus shifted to Pakistan.
We are running in a vicious circle.
There were international bodies asking our Government about Women security, now it’s the denial of Pakistan that echoes everywhere.
Acknowledging the fact that what happened on LoC is equally important and serious, I just want to ask why can’t we have a Government which is efficient in dealing with multiple issues at the same time? Multi-tasking is in fashion at all levels, but our Government seems out-dated.
As a citizen of India, I don’t know where we are heading towards, what is in store for us this years and coming decades, all I wish for is a Change!!!
The picture is too black right now; I hope it to turn towards grey. Everyone would not change overnight, but I hope that my generation does or rather majority of us do. The changed mindset can then generate some change in others from our generation and might be able to influence our previous generations too, to give our coming generations a better place to dream and dwell!
As you rightly said, change will happen but very slowly. Mindsets don’t change overnight. In fact, they don’t even change over a generation. It takes a lot more than that.
But the most disturbing thing about it is that there are a lot of individuals who are a hindrance to the process of change. Some through their mindset, others who just try to appear different. I have read blog posts recently where people have loudly opposed death sentence to such criminals. While there is some logic in the argument that death sentence will result in more victims being murdered during the crime itself, but it is preposterous when people even oppose a life sentence to such criminals. I have even seen people arguing against a life sentence and saying that even such criminals as those in the recent case in Delhi deserve a second chance in society after being reformed.
And I’m not quoting any half-wit politician or lawyer but young and educated people who think on these lines.
Things like these show that change is a lot further than what we expect.
You pointed out something very apt – “try to appear different” that’s what some attention seekers do. I wonder why is there a sudden need to ‘transform’ the criminal, if it’s something related to theft and robbery that can still be done but a psyche like this can’t be changed. I read somewhere that “Ravan was killed not transformed”.
And in a country like ours, where education fails to groom most of the so-called ‘educated’ lot…it’s the FEAR that would work. And that can be instilled only through Capital Punishment, which will at least make these criminal minds think or worry before carrying out such shameful acts.
Can you believe it that some people are actually saying that the most monstrous of the criminals of this case (who is supposedly under the age of 18) should not be ‘brutalized’ and should be ‘sympathized’ with.
And then while some say that he may have forged his age-certificate, therefore a medical bone-density estimation should be done to assess his correct age.
Isn’t it ridiculous ? Even if the most accurate test reveals that he is even 16 years old, does that mean he should be let off ? Our judicial laws are so stupid that if a person is 17 years and 364 days, he will be given a different and lesser punishment than if he is just a day older.
The basic thing to consider should be whether the criminal knew about what he was doing and his intentions while doing it. A person’s psyche does not change from a child’s to an adult’s overnight on his 18th birthday. Age should have nothing to do with the punishment.
And if reform is the only objective of the judgement, then every male below the age of 18 years will feel free to commit the same crime and expect to be set free in a few months time. See how quickly people convert an accused into a victim.
Thank God Kasab was not under 18 !